A Perfect Word
by FeigningInterest
Summary: A late night vocabulary assignment brings on a few written truths about two of the team mates. BB


A Raven BB thing... Cause I love them...! It kinda came to me... One shot!

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_**One. **_

**Redemption - The act of regaining oneself. The act of delivering from sin or saving from evil. **

_There are no secrets left and I'm grateful for that. My father no longer threatens me. Nor does he threaten my friends. I've been granted a freedom and a future I didn't have before. One I didn't know was open to me. But with freedom, like many other things I haven't yet been able to hold, comes fear. Fear and __revelation. _

"Okay!" I jumped as I heard Robin call out. "Everyone should _at least_ be done with their first word by now."

"Ugh." I rolled my eyes and ran my hands through my hair. "Why are we doing this again?"

Robin sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "The mission is to get to know each other better. To see how we've grown, both individually and as a team."

"So, we pick ten words and then give the reasons they describe us? Is that it?" asked Cyborg with a yawn.

"This is a most glorious idea, Robin!" chimed a bright Starfire.

"Can we move on?" I smiled at a bitter Raven.

It was 3:05 and counting in the morning, and no one was allowed to sleep until we finished one of Robin's spur of the moment, "I'm the leader so you'll do it!" tasks. I kept my eyes on Raven for a little longer. I like to watch her when she's concentrating. It's one of the only times I can see her eyes light up. One of the few ways she expresses herself with more than her regular monotone.

"Beastboy!" I jumped again and everyone's eyes landed on me. Robin was eying me funny, which added to the raised eyebrows from everyone else.

"What? I didn't do anything!" I tried on my innocent face. (The human shaped one) Everyone bought it except Robin.

With a huff, Robin sat back down at the table. "Well! Get back to work!"

I read over my list. Well, "word" was more like it...

**Humor. The quality of being funny. Having the ability to evoke laughter.**

I have a good sense of humor. I like joking around. Sometimes I get carried away and sometimes I don't know when to stop. But I've always been the funny, nice guy; I've always been the optimistic Titan. The one that never really backs down or gets discouraged. For some reason, I thought I had everything planned out. Everything perfect for me. Even when the world almost ended I knew that everything would eventually be okay. That everything that messed up would place itself back together and all I had to do was find the glue.

_Hmm... What should number two be?_

**Loyalty. Sticking by someone until the end. You don't always have to agree; you just care too much about them to let them down.**

I'd do anything for the team. These guys are my family and I need them. Especially Raven. She doesn't really like me, but I'd protect her with everything I've got. Not because she's on my team, but because I care about her. She's my friend, and I kinda understand her. Or at least I hope I do. I can't really relate to her, but I try sometimes. It's hard to stick by her, because most the time I don't know what she's dealing with, or how I can help. If I can help, and hopefully I can.

_Grr... Come on Beastboy! Think! I looked up from my writing and glanced towards the clock. 3:30 AM. My entire face hurts from concentration and lack of sleep. I glanced at Raven, and watched her write for a little while._

_**Two**_

**Understanding. The act of relating to someone else's ideas, feelings, or circumstance.**

I have little or no capability of empathy. Not that I know of anyway. Usually I'm well hidden, and seemingly unspoken, opinion wise. Yet one teammate in particular seems to seek out my ideas and thoughts, my look on things, and doesn't dispute them but agrees. One of the most off putting people I've ever been burdened, and blessed to meet. Beastboy has a way of actually dragging me into a conversation, where I not only respond but I also express myself without meaning to. He gets me in a way I didn't think possible. A way only a true friend can. And this is greatly confusing.

_I smiled to myself. Raven paused and looked up- in my direction. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks, and I turned away before she actually caught me staring. I REALLY should just do the writing thing..._

**Determination. The drive to keep going, even if you're really really REALLY beaten the crap out of.**

I'm determined and a little overbearing about it. I guess that's just me. I don't really know what else to say here. Is there supposed to be a certain amount of sentences? Is this enough? Can I stop with this one now?

_Another block and another glance at the clock. 3:55 AM. I looked back at Raven, who by now has continued writing. _

_**Three**_

**Meditation. Clearing one's mind of all things annoying and green.**

My meditations wouldn't be the same without that colorful teammate of mine interrupting them. They'd be completed and properly executed. Then again, they'd be way more boring than I actually want them to be.

"Okay!" I jumped, I think out of my skin, I'm not really sure. Robin startled me, in an almost pee myself way. "Everyone should AT LEAST be on four!"

I smiled inwardly; at least I'm not slow or anything. I'm just where I'm s'pose to be.

"Here's the rule." Robin continued, "Number five has to be something personal. Number six has to be something embarrassing. Number seven has to be something YOU enjoy that's out of your regular character..."

"Like you making us write random stuff about ourselves?" I interrupted with a yawn.

Robin scowled; years of experience have told me that this was a bad thing. It used to mean no cookie for Beastboy.

"As I was saying. Number eight has to do with what you want in the future. Number nine has to be the tower, and ten has to be the word 'love'. Got it? Good."

_Hmm. Am I gonna remember all that? Let's see. Something personal._

**Tofu. Because cannibalism is WAY too Silence of the Lambs for me.**

Like everybody knows, I don't like eating something I've once been. So, that would be pretty much every kind of animal, well, you eat. Which is gross to me. It's like someone eating your grandma, or your dad roasting your kitten on the grill. It's just wrong, ya know?

_She's looking at me. It's 4:15 AM, and Raven was looking at me. Did that mean she's writing about me? Oh, crap. I hope it's not bad. Dude, come on! Of course it's bad. Ah, man..._

_**Four**_

**Confusion. Not knowing why something happened, or is happening, Or why people act the way they do.**

Beastboy keeps looking over at me, and I don't know why.

_She's tearing me a new one, I bet. I hope she isn't too harsh. Now I'm nervous. Is Robin gonna read these or somethin'?_

**Fear. Something that scares you more than anything.**

I'm scared that I'm gonna lose myself again, and that I might snap and hurt somebody. Like I did before with Raven.

_I heard Starfire take in a deep breath, and I looked up. She was waving her hand franticly in front of her. She had apparently gotten a paper cut. The time read 4:23, and I sighed. I looked around at everyone, and everyone was writing..._

_**Five**_

**Shame. Sense of worthlessness or blame one places on themselves. **

What if I hurt them again? What if I screw up so bad not even Beastboy will look at me? What if I let them down again, what if I ruin everything? Like before.

_Biting my lip, I tapped my pencil against my temple. Embarrassing..._

**Embarrassing. Something you REALLY don't want to talk about, or remember.**

Well, I was the only one on my team hypnotized and turned British and stuff. That's not the embarrassing part though. The embarrassing part was Raven telling me afterwards that I was less annoying when I wasn't really me. Or that time I was telling a joke: "Why'd the chicken cross the road?" And Raven replied, "to beat up the idiot telling jokes about it."

_My eyes are droopy. I REALLY want to go to bed now. _

_**Six**_

**Humiliating. Something or someone that embarrasses you.**

Star told me this guy was staring at me. She called him Goth Boy, so I flirted. Beastboy swooped down, out of what appeared to be nowhere - and stole his hat- as a parakeet.

_Hmph. This one's easy._

**Quality. The things that make a person them.**

I like - don't judge me - _herbal tea_. It's relaxing, and makes me sleepy.

_Is that enough? Is this one of those one or more paragraph assignments? I hope not. I'd go to school for that._

_**Seven**_

**Different: Something out of statuesque. Something out of sync. **

I, despite myself, enjoy Beastboy's jokes and banter. I enjoy his company more. When we actually converse like people. Or when Beastboy uses his brain, the one not wired on sugar and tofu.

_Eight…_

_What was eight? Would it be rude to ask? If I do, will Robin kill me? That would suck... Oh yeah! Future._

**Future. What's to come!!!**

We'll all be a team, and I'll FINALLY GO TO BED!

_Mmm … bed... _

_**Eight**_

**Future. What you hope to happen next.**

To work better with the team. Maybe control my powers better. I have an emotional range now and I'm used to it, actually, but I'd like to try something a little more... well... romantic.

_Sheesh, Robin, you random fart. The tower?_

**Home. A place you feel welcome and loved.**

It's shaped like a T and my favorite people live here. Not to mention all the wonderful video games and napping places.

_I didn't even nap today. Wow. It's 5:30 AM. That's later than most regular kids get up for school._

_**Nine**_

**Home. Where you're always welcome and always loved.**

Home is here for me. It's home for all of us, I hope. The tower's just our sanctuary in a way.

_One more... love. I'm in love right now. My little crush for my distant friend grew stronger over the past year. I fell hard as soon as she opened up to me. As soon as I saw her smile, and laugh. _

**Love. Everything worth living and dying for.**

Well. It's unrequited but it's still love. She's a good friend of mine and way out of my league. I watch her a lot, I can't help it. She's beautiful.

_My heart sank. I didn't know what Robin was gonna do with these, but it better be worth it._

_**Ten**_

**Love, everything worth breathing for.**

As long as you keep this secret. As long as you bite your tongue, I'll tell you. I've had this connection with the most unlikely person since the beginning. He grew to be an acquaintance, then a friend, then a best friend, crush - and now love.

"Alright!" Robin didn't scare me that much this time. "Everybody give me your paper."

We all did what he said. He took the papers, and singled out mine, and what looked like Raven's handwriting. He crumpled up the others, and began reading ours aloud. Robin paused on ten and cast glances at the two of us. He read mine first. Raven looked at me, her expression unreadable. My unrequited love thing was a little too honest for a spur of the moment Invasive Vocab assignment.

Robin finished number ten on my paper and went on to Raven's number ten. If I wasn't mistaken, her thingie said the same thing my thingie said, and...

"Beastboy?" I looked over at Raven and stood up. My head was spinning, and boy was I tired.

"Yeah?" I walked closer to her and she walked closer to me.

"You're in love with a team mate?"

"Yeah." Blood rushed to my face again and I found myself standing very close to her.

"Who is it, if you don't mind me asking?"

"You."

My world froze for a moment as Raven just stood there staring at me. I watched her carefully as she walked closer to me, putting a hand on my chest. I called to her to get her to look at me and she did. I took the opportunity to lean down and kiss her. Something I've wanted to do for some time now.

We released, and Raven laid her head on my chest. "Beastboy."

"Yeah?"

"Two questions."

"What?"

"One - when did you get taller than me? Two - you do know I didn't say my love was you, right?"

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